Customer Reviews

Little Office of the B.V.M

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I highly recommend the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary for use in Daily Prayer. It is Spiritually enriching and very easy to use and follow. It is in complete accord with Vatican II and joins the full Divine Office as part of today's official daily prayer of the Church. Its Marian theme is part of a tradition dating back to the early church and is a good companion to daily recitation of the Rosary. It contains every hour of the liturgical day with each "hour" containing all you need to complete it. You won't have to refer to other sections of the book to find the various parts of the daily office as you would in the Liturgy of the Hours, which can be very confusing to use. The size of this book makes it easy to carry in a coat pocket or purse for use anywhere. This is a fine little Book with a lot in it.

This edition of the Little Office of the B.V.M. is alright for those who are not picky about their devotions and want an easier form of the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) to add to their existing daily prayers. Saying the Little Office is a time honored custom dating back to the Middle Ages. I am glad that this book is in print.

That being said I have to comment that I, personally, find the English in this edition a bit puerile and, quite frankly, unedifying. The language of structured prayer should be uplifting and should bring one to a higher level. I'm afraid I find this translation wanting in this regard. I am also not too fond of the removal of the hour 'Prime' from the Divine Office. I remember learning the hours as a child (mind you I'm only 29 years old) and it seems odd now to have one missing eventhough it went missing before I was born.

For those looking for a more traditional translation I would highly recommend the 1904 edition "Little Office of the B.V.M." by Father Lasance. It is bi-lingual (English & Latin) and is STILL IN PRINT by the St. Bonaventure Press. However, Amazon does NOT seem to carry this item so I recommend trying to order it at your local bookstore or from Aquinas & More Catholic Goods on-line. It must be said, though, that this printing has a few typographical errors and inconsistencies. The print, while not small, is also not that large.

For them best "modern" translation of the Little Office I recommen trying to find the 1944 edition of the Little Office of the B.V.M. printed by Franciscan Herald Press (now defunct.) It can easily be found at a local used bookstore or on-line. I have seen more than a few of them recently.

Deo optimo Maximo.

This amazing little breviary has been in constant use in the Church since the 11th century. It is a wonderful way to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the midst of a busy schedule. All seven hours are included; the prayers are short, traditional, and the arrangement can be easily adapted to any rule or circumstance. This book has long been used by religious and, for laypeople, is an extrodinary and simple way to enter deeply into the prayer life of the Churh. It's not complicated or 'flashy,' but is rich and deep and quite profound in its' simplicity - and perhaps that is something that many of us would wish to become also.

Don't listen to negative reviews of this little book; it is a wonderful prayer that surely pleases Our Lady very much. While I am no cheerleader for many of the Vatican II "reforms", I find this revised Little Office very refreshing in comparison with older ones which were boring and repetitive (and far too complicated for lay-use). This is simple and elegant, and one of the best features is each day is devoted to a feast day of Mary and the readings and prayers correspond to it. Other than the Holy Rosary, I can't think of a better way to get closer to Mary which of course, brings you closer to Our Lord. Also: a negative review mentions that this book does not contain all seven "hours" of the Little Office, this is NOT true. Matins, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline are all included, although the main thrust of the book is on Lauds and Vespers. If you are enrolled in the Brown Scapular, one of your duties (which is often neglected) is to recite the Little Office. Pick up this book and start today!

An awesome book, nearly comparable to the Divine Office. If one is enrolled in the Order of the Brown Scapular, a MUST have. And from Amazon.com, a great price to meet your orderly requirement. ;)

This book is excellent if you prefer the post-Vatican Council II modern translations of the Psalms and Scriptures, and don't mind the lack of Latin. However, a new edition has just been released by Baronius Press ([...]) which uses the traditional readings (different from the ones in this version) in the traditional English and Latin languages side-by-side. It also includes all of the Little Office Gregorian chants. I highly recommend it and encourage you to look into it before deciding your purchase.

I was recently invested in the Brown Scapular of Mt. Carmel and decided to buy this book and use it daily. It is excellent, but what surprises me is how few people seem to know about it. It is a nice way to reflect on the principal feasts of Mary. I would suggest anyone unfamiliar with liturgical prayer give this a chance.

I gave this to my devout Protestant friend and she LOVES it. She didn't have tools in her own religion to pray like this and regularly. We can sit down to pray but often don't have the words or more than one intention at the moment.

The Little Office gives us 20 minutes of rich prayer, a couple times a day, that reminds us of the wonderfulness of heaven.

As a revert I am still learning how to pray. This wonderful book gives prayers right from the Psalms, Sermons from Saints, and Popes are also included. For anyone enrolled in the Brown Scapular in order to obtain the Sabbatine Privilege this prayer book is one of the requirements. This a book that should be passed down to all generations.

For those who are looking to foster a time-honored devotion to the Virgin Mother of God, this book is for you. Drawn from the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the Church, The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin is a beautiful way of praising God, through and with His beloved creature, Mary.